Six more people found alive, well after Colorado floods

DENVER — The remaining six people listed as unaccounted for in the Colorado floods have told authorities they are alive and well.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Department said today authorities made contact with the six after their names were made public.

At the height of the flooding, more than 1,000 people were unaccounted for.

One person remains missing and presumed dead and the death toll remains at eight.

The floods, which started in earnest on Sept. 12, caused damage across nearly 2,000 square miles. Nearly 2,000 homes were damaged or destroyed along with more than 200 miles of state highways and 50 state bridges.

The floods are also blamed for spills of about 27,000 gallons of oil in northern Colorado oil fieldsincluding two mishaps found over the weekend, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission said.

The commission said it is tracking eight notable leaks, 10 other locations with some evidence of leaks, and 33 places where oilfield equipment appears damaged but no evidence of spills has been spotted. About 1,300 oil and gas wells remain shut down.

No official estimate has been released on the cost of the floods.

Vice President Joe Biden flew over some of the damage on Monday and promised that federal aid won’t stop even if the federal government shuts down.

“I promise you, I promise you, there will be help,” he said after his tour in an Army Black Hawk helicopter.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the Kersey area in northeastern Colorado, saying water from recent rain will continue to move down the South Platte River on Tuesday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it had approved $22. 1 million in individual assistance, most of it to help people to repair homes or find temporarily rentals.